What is the POD in
Dolphin Kids™?
POD stands for Play, Others and Downtime; and is the fundamental building block of the Dolphin Kids™ philosophy and curriculum.
As the 3 unique pillars of Dolphin Kids™ learning, all programs are backed by the latest in neuroscience research to enhance children’s brain development, and include: fun indoor and outdoor activities (Play), social and emotional development (Others), kids yoga, mindfulness exercises and the art of positive thinking (Downtime) in their curriculum – accommodating to all different learning styles.
First introduced in the #1 national bestselling parenting book The Dolphin Way by Dr. Shimi Kang M.D., POD was inspired by the highly playful, creative, socially-advanced, and intelligent Dolphin pods found in nature.
A new dimension of learning!
Dolphin Kids™ Future-ready Leaders – develop the mindset and life skills to achieve your dreams! Through the P.O.D. based method of Play (learning through curiosity & passion ), Others (social skills & connection), and Downtime (wellness & resilience tools), our variety of programs foster focus, gratitude, adaptability, resilience, and life-skills development for children of all ages, parents, educators, and coaches.
By utilizing the latest research in neuroscience for Innovation, Social Leadership and Self-Motivation, Dolphin Kids™ teaches the 5 key skills of CQ™ – Consciousness Quotient. This is the new 21st century intelligence of Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Contribution
The 3 unique pillars of Dolphin Kids™ learning
Dolphin Kids™ programs motivate children to become strong innovators, powerful leaders and self-motivated kids. The POD learning activities are designed to enhance children’s social, emotional and cognitive/critical thinking skills.
PLAY AND EXPLORATION lead to Innovation! Future leaders must be able to be curious, ask questions, challenge conventional thinking and create new ideas. Dolphin Kids™ programs include teacher facilitated play with expertly curated games, art, drama, music and body movement.
OTHERS leads to Leadership! Social connection and the ability to build positive relationships with others is an imperative skill for happy, healthy and self-motivated children. Dolphin Kids™ programs guide children through communication and collaborative leadership training with teamwork activities, role playing, public speaking and break-out sessions.
DOWNTIME leads to Resilience & Motivation! To thrive in our imbalanced world, children need to learn coping strategies and stress management techniques as soon as possible. Dolphin Kids™ programs guide children through mindfulness activities, attention training, and the cultivation of positive mental habits such as optimism, gratitude and grit.
Our mission is to ignite every child’s innate intelligence and innovative nature for social connection, critical thinking, creative expression and purposeful contribution.
All types of intelligence – including logic, emotion, language, imagery and intuition – are served by whole brain & body synergy. In order forchildren, youth and adults to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive, fast-paced and globally-connected world, one requires the synergistic fully-integrated wholistic skills of Consciousness Quotient – CQ™!
Developed by Dolphin Kids™ founder, parenting author, and psychiatrist, Dr.. Shimi Kang, the 5 Cs of CQ™ include creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and contribution.
Dolphin Kids™ after-school,spring, and summer camps focus on the development of CQ™ through multisensorial&experiential learning; creating a safe space where future leaders can engage, create, explore, and practice adaptability, innovation, & leadership.
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Creativity has been identified as the most important life skill of the future. Creativity requires both left and right (logical and emotional) brain hemispheres to work together. It is the ability to imagine, innovate, adapt, and think resourcefully when approaching new challenges.
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Critical Thinking is disciplined thinking and the art of asking the right questions (vs. knowing the ‘right answers’); and turning obstacles into opportunities. Critical thinkers make rational, ethical and responsible decisions by employing open-minded and effective problem-solving strategies.
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Healthy Communication is the root of all emotional development in children, youth and adults. Learning to communicate effectively allows us to express our innermost thoughts and feelings; share our questions and concerns; as well as exchange new ideas and knowledge in order to progress and grow. You can have all the raw intelligence, talent and creativity in the world, but if you can’t communicate your thoughts effectively and in different mediums, it won’t matter.
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Contribution and social connection are the fundamental layers of what make us human beings. We were all born with the innate desire to give, connect, share, and contribute Thus, when we do contribute, our brains reward us with feelings of happiness, fulfilment, and wellbeing. Contribution teaches children to have compassion, patience, kindness, empathy, and the habit of giving back as much as they consume.
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Collaboration is the ability to connect, share ideas, communicate effectively and make healthy compromises while staying true to oneself. It is about possessing strong social skills, self-awareness and learning to maintain healthy relationships. Whether it’s at Dolphin Kids™ camp, at home, the workplace,school, or the global community being able to learn from and inspire others while working in a team is the key to success in today’s world.
Dolphin Kids™ Makes Learning E.A.S.I.E.R.
As human beings adapt to an increasingly technologically driven, automated, & fast-paced future, the way we approach education, learning, and teaching must also change.
Today’s learning environment can be tough and competitive to navigate for children, parents and educators alike. Our Dolphin Kids™ programs are expertly designed by a team of education, mental health and child development specialists, to make lifelong happiness, resiliency, and success easier in the 21st century.
By integrating the latest science-based learning methods into the POD method, our unique curriculum guides children towards CQ™, and teaches them the 6 critical life skills to become happy, healthy, self-motivated future-ready leaders of tomorrow!
Emotional
Wellness
Overcoming emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and anger with positivity.
Adaptability
Learning to navigate, adjust and pivot unexpected situations in an ever-changing world.
Social
Leadership
Mastering diverse modes of communication, collaboration and public speaking.
Innovation
Breeding curiosity, creativity and critical thinking; learning to generate fresh and original ideas.
Ethics
Building strength of character, identity, empathy, integrity, grit, work ethic, and contribution.
Resiliency
Overcoming obstacles, learning from mistakes, and bouncing back with renewed strength.